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I thought you guys might be interested in my comments to the ASMFC on the proposed Addendum 1 to the eel fishery management plan. If any of you wished to copy all or part of this letter and use it as your own, please feel free to do so.
Ms. Lydia Munger
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 ‘Eye’ Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 2005
Dear Sirs:
I am writing in response to your request for public comments on Addendum I to the Interstate Fisheries Management plan for the American eel.
In light of the dismal stock assessment recently produced by the Technical Committee and the even more recent affirmation of the bleak outlook for the species by the peer review panel, to proceed forward with this Addendum would not only be ludicrous, but would also be against the charter of the ASMFC. Adoption of this Addendum would send the signal to the fishing community that it will be “business-as-usual” going forward with respect to this fishery, which plainly cannot be the case.
Instead I urge you to withdraw this Addendum and save the cost of the scheduled public hearings. In addition the American Eel Management Board should recommend that the Commission adopt an emergency measure at the February meeting barring all possession of American eels. While such an action will not provide the same level of protection as the contemplated listing under the endangered species act, it will provide some badly needed protection until the U.S.F.& W.S. and N.O.A.A. Fisheries can act, which likely won’t be until some time next fall. Unless the ASMFC acts now, the eel situation will only worsen as the glass eel season gets underway this spring and the fishing for the yellow and silver eels continues for another summer.
Yours Truly
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